The invention is generally directed to a dairy-based gelato that has desirable textural characteristics even after being stored frozen for more than a few hours and up to about 1 year. More specifically, the invention is a gelato that has a smooth, soft texture, is silky, and delivers characteristics comparable to traditional gelatos that are served within two or three hours of formulation.
Frozen desserts, such as, for example, ice cream, ice milk, milk shakes, frozen yogurt, sorbet, sherbet, granita, gelato, etc., are popular consumer items. These types of frozen desserts can be purchased fresh from specialty shops, such as ice-cream parlors, gelateria, and the like. Some of these frozen desserts, for example, ice cream, can readily be stored and shipped to grocery stores for purchase and still maintain a commercially acceptable body, flavor, and texture. But this is not the case for Gelato.
Most gelato is sold by to-go portions in small cups or cones because gelato does not travel well and is at its best when eaten within hours of production. Gelato is a generic name for Italian frozen desserts, which encompasses dairy-based frozen desserts as well as water-based frozen desserts depending on the region of Italy in which the term is used. Italy has three main schools for making gelato, each characterized by varying degrees of richness and each determined by the climate and availability of ingredients.
The Sicilian school for making gelato, which is the oldest, excels in fruit and nut flavors. On the western side of the island, water-based granita is granular, finely broken-up ice crystals. In the east, the same mixture is churned to a silkier state. Even the dairy-based gelato tends to be leaner in Sicily because it is often made without egg yolks and thickened with either cornstarch or wheat starch.
The Tuscan school for making gelato typically relies on using unsold milk. This results in a leaner gelato than those made with cream. But this gelato is still as silky as its richer counterparts.
The Veneto school for making gelato typically combines milk and cream in dairy bases to which fruit flavorings can be added. The Veneto school is believed to have the richest, most elegant gelato. (See Gourmet, pp. 94 to 97 (July 1999) for a general description of the three gelato-making schools).
Dairy-based gelato is smoother, softer, moreflavorful, and less overwhelmed by cream than traditional ice cream. And traditional ice cream is colder, harder, airier, and higher in butterfat than gelato. Dairy-based gelato has a silkiness that sets it apart from traditional ice cream.
Dairy-based gelato is typically characterized as having low storage stability. That is, when gelato is stored for periods of time greater than a few hours, the gelato loses its characteristic smooth, soft, silky texture. Similarly, dairy-based gelato is typically characterized as being relatively intolerant to elevated temperatures. This means that gelato must be eaten relatively quickly after removal from a freezer and cannot be readily refrozen. Because gelato has low storage stability and low tolerance to temperature fluctuations, producing gelato that has the traditional characteristics of freshly-made gelato but is stable enough to be shipped and stored for later sale is a challenge.
A need still remains for a dairy-based gelato that can be stored for more than a few hours and still retain its silkiness, smoothness, and softness.
The invention is generally directed to a dairy-based gelato that has desirable textural characteristics even after being stored frozen up to about 1 year. Desirable textural characteristics include those typically associated with freshly-made gelato. Freshly-made gelato is smoother, softer, and more flavorful than traditional ice cream. Gelato is also generally described as being silky.
A gelato of the invention is substantially free of graininess or grittiness and provides a smooth mouth feel. A gelato of the invention also has a soft texture that can be characterized as between a soft-serve frozen dessert and frozen ice cream served immediately from a consumer""s freezer. A gelato of the invention is also more flavorful than other frozen desserts, particularly ice cream.
According to one aspect of the invention, a gelato composition includes at least one milk-solids source; at least one sugar source; and at least one fat source. This gelato composition includes total solids in an amount sufficient to provide a frozen gelato that can be stored for up to about one year and still retain a texture characteristic of freshly-made gelato.
In another aspect of the invention, a gelato composition includes at least one nonfat-milk-solids source; at least one sugar source; and at least one fat source. This gelato composition includes total milk solids in an amount of between about 6 weight percent and about 12 weight percent; total sugar in an amount of between about 18 weight percent and about 37 weight percent; total fat in an amount of between about 4 weight percent and about 12 weight percent; and total solids in an amount of between about 45 weight percent and about 60 weight percent. The amount of total solids is sufficient to provide a frozen gelato that can be stored for up to about one year and still retain a texture characteristic of freshly-made gelato.
In yet another aspect of the invention, a gelato composition includes condensed skim milk in a range of between about 16 weight percent and about 30 weight percent; sucrose in a range of between about 16 weight percent and about 22 weight percent; heavy cream in a range of between about 11 weight percent and about 14 weight percent; starch hydrolysate having a DE value of between about 18 and 26, preferably between about 18 and 22, more preferably about 20 and in an amount between about 9 weight percent and about 18 weight percent; egg yolk in a range of between about 3 weight percent and about 7 weight percent; and balance of water. This gelato composition includes total solids in an amount of between about 45 weight percent and 60 weight percent, and the amount of total solids included is sufficient to provide a frozen gelato that can be stored for up to about one year and still retain a texture characteristic of freshly-made gelato.
A gelato composition of the invention can also have added flavorants.